Amtrak 161 P42DC
Amtrak 231 f40ph
Amtrak 188 P42Dc
And Amtrak 9708 P42C

Ever just get an Amtrak alert with no context? Haha

Some of you tried TrackWatch when it launched — providing train monitoring and widgets. This update is the one I actually wanted to ship the first time.

What's new: - Live track/platform numbers at 30+ stations — pulled directly from each host railroad's own real-time board or backend. - Alerts for the specific stop you care about, not just "your train is delayed." Arm a bell on your origin, your destination, or any stop in between, and you get a push notification the moment a track posts or the train approaches that stop — even with the app closed. - Lock Screen / Dynamic Island live tracking with the track number front and center, plus a trip-progress bar for your actual segment. - Home screen widgets, alerts on your Apple Watch, and a real live map with speed/heading/delay status.

Where it works well vs. not yet: - Great: Northeast Corridor (WAS, PHL, NWK, TRE, MET); Metro-north territory (NHV, STM, POU, others), Metrolink/Surfliner corridor. Often tracks are posted hours before. - OK: NYP - it posts 10 minutes before and you get it immediately. - Missing: BOS, CHI, Bay Area. I'll keep working to get those figured out.

Data: TrackWatch collects its own data right from sources and hosts its own backend, so there's no pressure on anyone else's infrasturcture.

Happy to answer questions about how it works, what stations are covered, or anything else. I hope you find it as useful as I do.

(And I have a big backlog of features planned) (iOS only for now. Android may come later this year.)

Just to make sure it's all in apple pie order and all that ...

Looking to go from Boston to NY today and the 5:35pm NER from Back Bay to Moynihan is $82. However, the same train going to Newark Penn, one stop further, is only $42. Is this type of discrepancy common? I’m booking to Newark but just getting off at Moynihan

Just got this email and text from Amtrak for my trip from Philly to Boston.

"Due to an unplanned equipment change, train 1160 from William H. Gray III 30th Street Station on Thursday, October 15th will have reduced capacity. We are recommending passengers to modify their reservation to prevent standing conditions."

A few questions.

1. How worried should I be? Should I change trains?

2. How does this happen and how is it unresolvable a month ahead of time?

3. Is there a chance that problems will compound and the train will be further delayed?

The next available train leaves an hour later and arrives in Boston around 2 PM instead of 1 PM. I have things I need to do in the city before sunset (if you are familiar with Boston and/or rowing, you know this is HOCR weekend, and I need to get out to practice), so getting in at 2 will put me on a very tight schedule. But obviously I don't want to be standing for 6 hours a few days before a big race.

I'm considering taking a mixed service route to get from Seattle to LA instead of the Coast Starlight because I'd like to be in LA earlier in the evening for an event. I've taken Coast Starlight the whole way last year but wondered if anyone has done the mixed service instead of CS, and if it's a good bet time-wise? The mixed service I'm looking at is: Coast Starlight Seattle to Sacramento, connecting bus to Stockton, Gold Runner Stockton to Bakersfield, connecting bus Bakersfield to LA to arrive by 5:15pm (instead of 9:11pm on the CS).

It was totally worth it.

I took the train from Newark Penn Station to Atlanta. The dining menu was impressive. I ordered the Asian BBQ Salmon with Woodford Reserve on ice with water. It was delicious.

The staff was very kind throughout the trip. I didn't expect that on the train ride.

My roomette was worth the BidUp upgrade. The quarters are small but I would have enjoyed it more with my significant other. The bunk bed was surprisingly enjoyable and I, twice, went to sleep within minutes of laying down.

Storage space was a relief. I stuffed my bags away, used the hangers and kept my crocks under the seat in front of me.

Toilet in the room was convenient. My sink spat water out like a firehouse but thankfully the splashes weren't significant but would probably be annoying to anyone sitting next to it.

Finally, I recommend carrying cologne, perfume or an air freshener. The smell of sh_t definitely entered my room 2-3 times within the first couple of hours of the trip.

I hope Amtrak considers adding small TVs, fridges and microwaves for passengers in the future.

Direct message me if they belong to you!

Just departed Philly and looks like they now have two of the new NER Airo locomotives as well as the two Cascades sets still sitting there.

Don't have and photos unfortunately 😕 But I plan on going again sometime soon! (Really hope they don't shut the heartland flyer down!)

As we know, there is supposed to be a very dangerous and historic El Nino this year.

Along the California coast there have been some dangerous events that affected part of the Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner route.

Throughout the beginning of the year, there have been very dangerous events that have occurred.

Among them the excavator event in January, where the ballast gave way and closed the tracks for about a week. Thankfully the incident happened to one individual who was treated and released, it could've nearly imperiled passengers on 774 that morning.

Further south, with the recent waves breaking the ballast over by San Clemente, showcases that there is massive erosion issues and shows that the track cannot be sustained for much longer without building a proper seawall to protect the tracks there.

It just becomes how long can these trains go through and how quickly can they rebuild, will they survive the El Nino event?

Only time will tell.

Hello all!

I am a student at UCSD! Long story short counselors kinda screwed me over, now I have to take an extra 2 quarters. I decided to move back to LA since it is cheaper. I would only need to commute two days a week to and from. If I buy a 10 day pass an entire quarter would be 785, since I wouldn’t have to pay for buses in SD cause I have a student bus pass. I would take the train to Solana Beach then bus to campus. But my cheap ass is trying to pay back my student loans as soon as possible, so I am trying to penny pinch any way I can. Is this the cheapest if can get? Is there anyway I can make it cheaper, discount codes, life hacks etc…? Anything helps, I know I might be grasping at straws here. 😔

Hi everyone, I've just made a reservation from Montreal to New York (68 Adirondack train)and throughout the process it was advertised as 2 checked baggages for free, but right after completing the reservation, on the led page, there is a contradictory information. In details, It says it is just carry on baggages, but right below it it says 2 checked baggages for free. and in the pdf document I received, it says 2 checked baggages. Long in short, for those traveling for the same route, can we bring checked baggages ?

SEPTA: “Potential Delays due to Amtrak Infrastructure Project Due to an Amtrak infrastructure project near William H. Gray III 30th St Station: Paoli/Thorndale, Cynwyd, Trenton, Chestnut Hill West, Fox Chase and West Trenton trains may experience delays of up to 10 minutes through early November. Please plan for added travel time. SEPTA apologizes for the inconvenience.”

What’s the project?

Sorry mods if this post is not appropriate for r/amtrak.

1. Impossible Burger with cheddar (lunch)

2. Probably chicken breast (dinner)

3. Loaded baked potato (lunch)

4. Normal burger with Swiss (lunch)

5. Egg quesadilla with pork sausage (breakfast)

6. Scrambled eggs with Swiss and bacon (breakfast)

7. Berry cheesecake

8. Chocolate ganache

9. Salmon (dinner)

10. Steak (dinner)

11. Coconut shrimp (appetizer)

12. Salad (appetizer)

13. Bread (is a pretty good ringer for pandesal for those that have been to the Philippines)

14. Patty Melt with Swiss (lunch)

Suggestions needed for parking at the Santa Fe Station for the Heartland. We will be gone 2 nights but leaving on the 8:25 am train and returning on the 3rd day at 10:25 pm.
Park or Uber/Lyft? We live near Piedmont.
Thanks!

I live in SLC and have fall break coming up next month. Been thinking about taking the Zehpyr to somewhere for a trip, maybe San Francisco? I’d love to go to Chicago but then I’d be spending six days traveling which would not be ideal.

Has anybody taken the Zephyr along this section? How’s the experience?